This was in the 5/13/09 Chicago Tribune.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-cn-delays-submay13,0,5815632.story
CN reports all requested circumstances, which, unfortunately doesn't include all of the instances where folks are inconvenienced. The crossing gate incidents tickle me, since they have nothing to do with CN, and likely would have happened even if the sale didn't go through.
So we have a conflict between someone trying to run a railroad and a group whose ultimate goal would be to have the tracks lifted.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Here we go again, typical NIMBY complaints, and Aroura sees alot of train traffic on the BNSF line. So would Darch and Mayor of Aoura just stop complaining and addapt. (Shesh)
Political figures in IL calling accusing someone or something less than honest...boy if this isn't a case of the pot calling the kettle black...wow.
Dan
CNW 6000 Political figures in IL calling accusing someone or something less than honest...boy if this isn't a case of the pot calling the kettle black...wow.
Go easy on the political commentary, please, fellas.
-Crandell
But, politics is the lightening-rod focal-point of this topic. How can we have an intelligent discussion of what is going on without pointing out that the people causing the issue say "it has something to do with where the choo choo go" (for the Blazing Saddles fans out there)
When is the railfan Rally in Barrington scheduled anyways?
Ed
Have any of you seen the six minute plus video that TRAC has on their web site? It depicts an emergency call by four Barrington city vehicles (one police car, one fire supervisors vehicle, one fire truck and one ambulance) getting stuck at a crossing on the EJ&E (now CN) crossing in their town. It was obviously staged...interesting that the Village of Barrington used TAXPAYER DOLLARS to stage this little video (the cost of using the Village vehicles at the very least). If I lived in Barrington I would not be too happy about that. Opinions?
eolafan Have any of you seen the six minute plus video that TRAC has on their web site? It depicts an emergency call by four Barrington city vehicles (one police car, one fire supervisors vehicle, one fire truck and one ambulance) getting stuck at a crossing on the EJ&E (now CN) crossing in their town. It was obviously staged...interesting that the Village of Barrington used TAXPAYER DOLLARS to stage this little video (the cost of using the Village vehicles at the very least). If I lived in Barrington I would not be too happy about that. Opinions? [emphasis added]
Have any of you seen the six minute plus video that TRAC has on their web site? It depicts an emergency call by four Barrington city vehicles (one police car, one fire supervisors vehicle, one fire truck and one ambulance) getting stuck at a crossing on the EJ&E (now CN) crossing in their town. It was obviously staged...interesting that the Village of Barrington used TAXPAYER DOLLARS to stage this little video (the cost of using the Village vehicles at the very least). If I lived in Barrington I would not be too happy about that. Opinions? [emphasis added]
Dude, your post screams of politix. I can't ask you to trim your sails, but . . . [al]
selector Go easy on the political commentary, please, fellas. -Crandell
Omaha, Nebr. - Wednesday, 13 May 2009
The Barrington vs. CN issue is never going to quiet down until some kind of street/railroad grade separation scheme is worked out. The Northwest Highway crossing (U.S. 14) involving a four lane road probably would work out the best for the Village, but it would be a mighty expensive proposition, especially considering the nearly 90-degree curve just east of the crossing and the presence of Flynn Creek just west of it. A bridge over the tracks makes more sense at that location than trying to tunnel under.
Tunneling under the tracks at the Hough St. crossing (Ill. 59) could make sense, but there are some residential issues there that would have to be worked-out.
The Main St. (Lake-Cook Rd.) crossing connecting the residential/commercial side of town with the high school and Barrington Hills also might be a candidate for a roadway underpass, but again this would involve disrupting surrounding residential neighborhoods.
No matter how the problem is ameliorated, the NIMBYs will scream loud and long until some mutually satisfactory solutions between both parties are found.
/s/ Bob
I wonder if the 'burbs will want sound baffles, too . . . ? - a.s.
eolafan Have any of you seen the six minute plus video that TRAC has on their web site? It depicts an emergency call by four Barrington city vehicles (one police car, one fire supervisors vehicle, one fire truck and one ambulance) getting stuck at a crossing on the EJ&E (now CN) crossing in their town. It was obviously staged...interesting that the Village of Barrington used TAXPAYER DOLLARS to stage this little video (the cost of using the Village vehicles at the very least). If I lived in Barrington I would not be too happy about that. Opinions?
Yes, it's staged.
They filmed it last summer with a regular old EJ&E train. The trees aren't "full out" like that here yet. They have no shame and they will lie. Hey, I guess that makes the government of Barrington just like the Illinois state government. Must be in the water. And anything in the water would be CN's fault.
I live in Naperville and have been a taxpaying resident for 17 years (at about $14,000 a year), so I have a stake in all this.
It is not political commentary. It is the truth. This entire issue is all about politics, and local elected officials grandstanding to earn points for the next election. CN hasn't even come close to getting up to speed on what it will move on the J, yet the critics' strategy is to complain early, often and as loudly as possible over the smallest incident. Now,I could make a comment about borrowing this type of strategy, but THAT would be a political comment.
The gross hypocrisy about all this is that these towns NEVER were on record to this extent when the J was running things for the last 100 years or so -- even the last 10 years. These towns NEVER kept any records. But now it has been turned into a "cause" -- something for the NIMBYs to sip sun tea and munch flatbreads over.
Poppa_Zit The gross hypocrisy about all this is that these towns NEVER were on record to this extent when the J was running things for the last 100 years or so -- even the last 10 years. These towns NEVER kept any records.
The gross hypocrisy about all this is that these towns NEVER were on record to this extent when the J was running things for the last 100 years or so -- even the last 10 years. These towns NEVER kept any records.
Poppa_Zit But now it has been turned into a "cause" -- something for the NIMBYs to sip sun tea and munch flatbreads over.
But now it has been turned into a "cause" -- something for the NIMBYs to sip sun tea and munch flatbreads over.
ndbprrhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-cn-railboardmay14,0,2873398.story
Tell Rep Linda Holmes et al, to appropriate a boatload of cash to build yet another six-lane highway through the 'burbs and CN will truck all that freight. They'll also have to build two transloading yards to move the freight from rail to truck and back again on the other side of Chicago. I'm sure she'll have no shortage of volunteers (among those thousands) to be the stevedores (OK teamsters) to do the transloading so they can keep their neighborhoods safe from all those scary trains. All they need to do is serve flatbread in the cafeteria.
(sigh)
The state of Illinois has not been right since that cow kicked over that lantern back in the 1870s......
Must have been something in that smoke that makes everyone act weird.....
Randy Vos
"Ever have one of those days where you couldn't hit the ground with your hat??" - Waylon Jennings
"May the Lord take a liking to you and blow you up, real good" - SCTV
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Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
First off, the "J", now CN, is in my back yard and I don't care (I gues that makes me a IMBYIDC - I'm an idiot?) Second, the Mayor of Aurora, Tom Weiser, needs to stop crying over spilled milk and accept it. Instead of fighting the change that's not going to be reversed he needs to spend more time trying to secure funding for a Rt. 34 / Ogden Rd. underpass. I know I'm right there at the borderline of being too political but that railroad crossing is in terrible shape. The railroad track has sunk so far (at least a foot) that trains, cars and trucks can't negotiate the crossing at more than 25mph. Anybody who hits that crossing at more than 40mph is nuts, might spit-up a kidney and there vehicle might need a few repairs. Why spend the money to fix it when an underpass is the best possible solution?
Barrington is stuck with at grade railroad crossings because most of the crossings (both the CN and UP) are in the middle of their downtown area. There will not be any overpasses built because the residnets will complain that they're an eyesore. An underpass will be perceived as splitting the town. I do plan on calling the mayor or Barrington and asking when their railroad appreciation festival will take place. I'm expecting an answer that is along the lines of a cold day in .
CC
If you can't raise the bridge, lower the river: Would it be feasible to sink part of the CN/EJ&E line into a trench (like they did in Reno, NV) so that automotive traffic at ground level could get over the tracks without physically crossing them?
al-in-chgo If you can't raise the bridge, lower the river: Would it be feasible to sink part of the CN/EJ&E line into a trench (like they did in Reno, NV) so that automotive traffic at ground level could get over the tracks without physically crossing them?
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
al-in-chgoIf you can't raise the bridge, lower the river: Would it be feasible to sink part of the CN/EJ&E line into a trench (like they did in Reno, NV) so that automotive traffic at ground level could get over the tracks without physically crossing them?
It's feasible. But not cheap. Major difficulties are:
The Reno Trench worked out because there happened to be an adjacent alley to run a shoo-fly down. The Alameda Corridor worked out because there was more than one rail line -- one could be completely shutdown for the construction, and the trains run on the other line.
Anything can be built. Cost is the problem. The cost to dig the trench, put up retaining walls, build the bridges for the streets, and lay the track might only be 20-30% of the total cost. Utility relocations alone could double the cost.
RWM
Railway ManUtility relocations alone could double the cost.
RWM: you didn't even mention the uncharted utility lines. My last job on utility lines nearly drove me insane. To top it off I found wooden water lines! Killed the lines customers lost service. A three month delay for the change orders, ROW acquisition, easements, etc. (had an excellent aide to do that). Atlanta has had the wooden water line problem on many of their downtown projects.
Railway Man al-in-chgo If you can't raise the bridge, lower the river: Would it be feasible to sink part of the CN/EJ&E line into a trench (like they did in Reno, NV) so that automotive traffic at ground level could get over the tracks without physically crossing them? It's feasible. But not cheap. Major difficulties are: Rail construction staging. Where do you put the tracks and run the trains while you dig the trench? There's not a lot of right-of-way width. Utility relocation. Hundreds of underground water, sewer, gas, electricity, and telecom lines will run smack through, over, adjacent, or under the trench with insufficient cover, and have to be relocated, with concomitant construction staging issues (they can't be taken out of service for more than a few minutes, usually). One of the problems is, where do you put them? You don't want lines running parallel to and underneath tracks or trench walls. Sewer lines will require lift stations and water lines may require pumping stations, too. Street construction staging. While you close streets to erect overpasses, where do you put all the cars? The streets aren't usually so wide that there's room to move the street over, nor enough lanes to get away with closing half of them for awhile. Traffic nightmares create public nightmares. Emergency vehicle temporary substations on the "wrong" side of the tracks may be needed. Kids may have to be bussed to schools. Logistics fun. Building foundation undermining. If buildings are up against the trench, then foundations will have to be tied back. These tend to be individualized problems that are difficult to know what to do until you go dig and see what's there. Cost estimating is an impossibility. Damage liability is sticky. Land acquisition. Invariably some land will be required. Now there's a political nightmare. Estimating costs comes down to tacking on 20%-50% contingency and hoping it's enough. Paying for it. But for the desire for lower traffic delays by trains, the trench wouldn't be needed. So why should the railway pay for any of it? Even if it turns out to be a betterment? Unforseen underground conditions. Any time you turn a shovel, expect the worse. If you run into contaminated soils (pretty common in an urban setting), costs go through the roof! Stormwater drainage. Cities have been really good at surreptiously using railroad rights-of-way as water detention basins and de facto storm sewers. There is often a MAJOR problem in figuring out how to intercept the runoff before it gets to the trench and then building the storm sewer to handle it. Then you have to figure out where you'll put the storm sewer. It could end up having to be under a parallel city street, which means utility relocations there, too, along with major traffic disruptions and staging issues. Water table. Compared to the above problems, this is minor. Worst case scenario, you just pump the water table down and hold it down. Ground can be chemically frozen and grout curtains injected to slow the water infiltration rate way down. RWM
Man.... first Mayo's whinefest with DME and now this mess with CN. Is it ever gonna end?
Railroads are hurting enough thanks to a poor economy as it is. So this is just what they need! NIMBYs making things worse!
Your friendly neighborhood CNW fan.
Relocate the former EJ&E main line through Barrington NEVER going to happen. for one reason. Barrington was the ONE suburb that REFUSES to this day to expand rt 59 to 4 lanes through its downtown area saying that its beautiful DOWNTOWN is worth more than allow traffic to flow freely. They also had the WHOLE downtown declared a Historical Preservation distric to prevent the State from being able to use Emiminat Domain to force them to allow the State to make route 59 4 lanes there. So if you think for 2 secs that they are going to allow the CN to dig a trench deep enough to put the old EJ&E into it. I have a very nice 4-8-8-4 in my BACK YARD I would like to sell you. BTW it does run and all it needs is a load of coal and you can run it down the mainline of your chosing.
In my letter to the STB I suggested they a;so approve a right of way around Chicago that was at least fifty miles outside the current suburbs. That way a right of way of three or more tracks, yards and terminals could be planned before the communities reach out that far. I'd be willing to bet some of those smnall towns that are dieing would jump at the chance to be a rail hub with all the jobs and revenue they would produce. Anybody feel like starting the 21st century belt line?
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